You Are What You Eat Pt. 2

Happy Thursday!

The week is almost over, and Thanksgiving is fast approaching. In my last post I discussed foods to eat before a workout.   So in this post I will be sharing my wisdom on items to eat after a workout:

·      Drink chocolate milk: I never understood why the chocolate was important but my coaches would always encourage us to drink it after practice. Milk contains nutrients and proteins that help prevent and heal sore muscles.  Chocolate just makes it taste better. J

·      Protein: Protein is always smart to eat after a workout. Eating protein allows the body to restore muscles and helps it to heal and become stronger. My favorite proteins to eat after a workout include steak, scrambled eggs, chicken and any other red meats.

·      Water: Drinking water after a workout is as important as drinking water before a workout. After working out, your body loses a lot of water due to sweating. In order to replenish the lost water your body needs water. Don’t chug water after a workout because it could make you sick. Sips are better. I usually take eight sips and then take breaks in between and repeat as necessary.

One idea that my coaches always taught me was the “two hour, 20 minute rule”. This rule basically states that in less than two hours you should have a sustainable meal in your stomach and in less than 20 minutes water should be in your system. This rule is formulated to allow your body to recover and be ready for the next day.

Going back to the blessing of the food idea, another verse that my family would say during meals was 1 Corinthians 11:24-27: “And when he had given thanks, he broke [it], and said, Take, eat; this is my body, which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of me.” Jesus gave everything for us to be reborn with our sins. While living in Kansas, it is hard to see that most of us live a very blessed life.  We sometimes forget that not everyone is as blessed as we are. I still encourage you to pray before you eat but also to just thank Jesus for everything you have been blessed with.

Enjoy your Thursday,

Jamie

Exercising Is All Fun and Games

Hello Beautiful People,

Running, I have to admit, is sometimes boring. Exercising at times is boring, too, if you don’t spice it up! I have the perfect cure for the “workout blues”. They are simply fun little things called games.

I was thinking about this issue while on a run the other day. I then thought back to my old cross country days and when we would sometimes play games as a substitute for a speed workout. These two were my favorite games:

1. Toilet Tag: This essentially is a glorified “freeze tag”. In this game one or more people are “it”.  (The actual number depends on the number of people playing tag.) People run around trying to avoid the taggers. If a person gets tagged he or she must get down on one knee with their hand out flat almost like a flush function on a toilet.

To get back in the game, another person who is not “it” must come by and “flush” the person. This can be repeated however long you want. The trick to this game is to constantly stay moving, even if no one is chasing you.

2. Ultimate Frisbee: This was probably the most popular game on my cross-country team. Basically it is almost like football but with a Frisbee. You split up into teams and then each team decides on a place for your “goals”. Each side alternates trying to get points. It is a good sprinting workout because while waiting to catch the Frisbee you must run around in order to find an open spot to receive the catch.

Normally people play until one side gets three “goals” and wins. The beauty of this game is the more people playing the better! This game can be played as many times as you want and it is a good bonding experience.

The only draw back of playing games is finding enough people to make the games fun. My suggestion as a college student is to grab your frat brothers, your sorority sisters or even people on your floor for a night of fun and exercise.

One of the many good things about being a Christian is having fellowship with fellow believers. “We who had sweet fellowship together, Walked in the house of God in the throng” Psalm 55:14. Fellowship can be worshiping together, hanging out or simply playing a game on the union lawn. Make time for fellowship with fellow believers who have Jesus in their hearts.

Have a blessed weekend!

Jamie